THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA

I'm a bit more torn - I think there are two ways to look at the announcment and what it means for the SBS Essentials product.

- People (read: businesses) buying SBS should be working with and availing themselves or the services of a professional IT partner. Professional IT partners likely don't need, and quite possibly don't want (for some of the reasons you describe amongst other things) - Drive Extender - it was a solution to a problem that really doesn't exist in the professional IT world. In that sense, I'm with you and won't be shedding a tear for the loss of DE from the SBS product. As one of the aforementioned IT partners, this is perhaps a slightly selfish view

Less selfishly and thinking of this from a product perspective, I think the reality is that a lot of people doing SBS - especially the new Essentials SKU - are, and will be, DIY-ers installing, running and managing the system within their own business. Microsoft have definately put a lot of effort in too making this a viable proposition. For these people, Drive Extender was a great feature which would have made their lives simpler - so this is goodbye to a clever, and potentially valuable feature for lots of potential customers.

I'm not a big home-server-er, I'll definately be interested to see how that community reacts as it strikes me as a much more clear cut loss for them.

Cheers

Lee

If you put something called Home Server, which is clearly labeled Home Server, in a business setting, you deserve to have problems.

@Dean Can not get past your comment :(  Yes, we have been telling our folks not use use "home" windows in a office but, there is always an exception and Windows Home Server (whs) is the exception with out a doubt.

HP even rebranded their Mediasmart for 'home' users with the StorageWorks x510 Data Vault for the 'office' with the thought that the product totally rocks in a home and/or office.

 We have a couple offices using the mediasmart with quickbooks with no issues "after" adding a third drive dedicated to backup, quickbooks and misc storage outside Drive Extender (DE).

 In the real world the whs should have a third drive for the server backup (home/office) purposes regardless.

 I have more than a couple sitting next to a SBS just doing client imaging of pc's we can't afford to be down very long, like the owners computer and the finance computers.

 For me, I would have to say whs may be the most exciting product (next to xbox Kinect) microsoft has released in 4 years.  Am looking forward to checking out the storage server.

Mr. Kenyon

                Just because something can be made to work doesn't mean it should be done. You can take a desktop machine and use it as a server but should you. I will tell you the answer. No. Home Server was never meant to be an office product.

I think this whole furor goes to show that combining product groups because some in management think it will create synergy...usually just creates a giant mess.

I wonder when Aurora and SBS 2011 might have been out had the top-down approach to their product groups not been thrown into the works, and when Vail might have been out had the same occurred.

Instead, they all take forever.

@dean - sorry to see you can't look beyond the product name.  I create solutions for my customers that save them money, and for many of them that includes me selling Home Server next to SBS as a "Key PC" backup solution.  that doesn't use the Drive Extender technology btw. works well, doesn't step outside the Microsoft Support Matrix.  Lets just say i'm enjoying an uptick in business due to these solutions.  You do what you want, believe what you want, the rest of us will keep innovating for our customers.

have a good thanksgiving holiday everyone!

Kevin